Fantasy baseball moves toward the middle of June with quite a few quality players on the injured list. Even more players haven’t lived up to expectations and, undoubtedly, managers are ready to move on from many of them. Of course, those that fall in either category require replacements, and that is where the waiver wire comes into play. Identifying who to select can be difficult. That is no longer a concern, though, as this fantasy baseball waiver priorities week ten edition is here to help! Without wasting another moment, let’s dive right into the deep end. For informational purposes, all ownership percentages are provided by ESPN.

Top Position Player Week Ten Waiver Pickups

Christopher Morel, 2B/3B/OF, Chicago Cubs, 33% Owned

On Wednesday, the Cubs gave Christopher Morel the day off. Obviously, Chicago wants to help Morel maintain his edge after the outstanding performance he has put on prior to him taking a seat. In that stretch, Morel had hits in nine of ten contests, putting together two or more hits in three. Prior to sitting out, he was hitting a robust .375 with one homer, one triple, one double with four runs and four RBIs. Getting back into the lineup Friday, Morel had two more hits. The Yankees finally figured out a way to stop him, as he was hitless in the last two games of the series.

New York is the best team in the baseball at the moment, so Morel can be forgiven for getting shut out Saturday and Sunday. However, the Cubs return home this week and Morel has been a terror to opposing pitchers in Wrigley Field. He scored a run in seven straight games during the last home stand. Morel also put together a couple of steals. His .360 OBP and .845 OPS would rank third among second basemen if he had enough at bats.

Currently, Morel only qualifies as an outfielder on the ESPN platform, but that will soon change. Once that happens, he will only increase in value. Don’t wait for the change, if available, managers should add Morel today and reap the fantasy rewards he will surely bring.

Santiago Espinal, 2B/3B, Toronto Blue Jays, 39% Owned

When looking back at previous waiver recommendation articles, Santiago Espinal has been featured prominently often. As the calendar approaches the middle of June, Espinal remains far too available despite the excellent hitting he has maintained from the beginning of the season. Espinal was shut out Saturday but comes into this week with hits in nine of his last 11 games. Even hotter, he had two or more hits in six games, including four straight. Over his past seven, Espinal is hitting .346 with a .370 OBP. Best of all, he has only 37 strikeouts in 227 plate appearances.

Of course, that is huge in points leagues, where strikeouts each count as a negative point. Espinal last put-up negative fantasy points on May 31. He only had one at-bat in that game, however. Putting him into a fantasy lineup almost guarantees positive fantasy production. How many other players can say that? The Blue Jays have been playing better as a team and their offense sure to improve as the season wears on. Managers are finally starting to notice Espinal and the time to acquire him is now. Picking him up is a highly recommended move on this fantasy baseball waiver priorities week ten edition.

Garrett Cooper, 1B/OF/DH, Miami Marlins, 15.4% Owned

It can be said with absolute certainty that Garrett Cooper is currently the hottest hitter in all of baseball. Entering Friday’s play, Cooper has put together a streak of two or more hits in six straight games. Over the past week, Cooper is hitting an unearthly .538. There is no question that level of performance is impossible to maintain. Even so, Cooper has been swinging a great bat the past month. Since May 27, Cooper has four other games with two or more hits.

Even with a little regression, Cooper would look great on anyone’s fantasy roster. For the season, he is hitting .319-4-27, with 15 doubles and 20 runs scored. On the surface, Cooper’s.406 BAbip looks concerning. There need be no worries of a prolonged slump, however, as he has a .371 career average in that department. Cooper has been hitting the ball on the screws this season. His GB% is the lowest since 2017 and his FB% is his highest ever. Even with a small downturn surely coming, managers need to get to the wire this minute and add him before it is too late. With his multiple position eligibility only increasing his value, picking up Cooper is an easy call.

NOTE: Cooper was placed on the COVID list Saturday. It is unknown how long he will be out. If a manager has an open IL spot, picking him up is still a highly recommended move. If that is not the case, keep an eye on him and hope that no one else in the league picks him up first.

Ramon Laureano, OF, Oakland A’s, 9.7% Owned

Without question, fantasy owners that see that Ramon Laureano went 0-5 Thursday will want little to do with him. However, looking beyond that box score reveals a player that has been swinging the bat well. Going into that game, Laureano had hits in 12 straight, including five games of two or more. In that stretch, Laureano hit .333 with three doubles, three RBIs and a steal. For the season, Laureano is hitting .248-2-8 with five stolen bases. In today’s game, hitting near .250 looks like .280 in the old days.

His .302 BAbip is in line with career average, meaning that there isn’t any regression in the forecast. Meanwhile, Laureano’s 19.7 SO% is easily the best in his career. That will really help those managers that play in a points league that punishes strikeouts. With his availability, Laureano will be a help in even the largest of leagues. Those needing OF help would do well to look Laureano’s way.

MJ Melendez, C, Kansas City Royals, 15.2% Owned

Certainly, one of the most difficult aspects of fantasy baseball is finding a suitable catching option. The word suitable means a catcher that hits effectively and is the lineup more than three or four times a week. Looking across the landscape reveals few candidates that fit that description. Fortunately, one has arrived in recent weeks and his name is MJ Melendez. He made his Major League debut on May 3 and quickly proved he belonged with hits in five of his first six games. Melendez has played in 35 games thus far and hasn’t slowed down a bit.

For the season, Melendez is hitting .258-6-16. His 68 fantasy points are more than a lot of catchers that have been on big league rosters since game one. Many managers added Melendez when Salvador Perez went down and dropped him once Perez returned. That kind of move has proven unnecessary, as the Royals have kept Melendez in their lineup as either an outfielder or designated hitter. In fact, since getting called up, he has missed only three of a possible 38 games. No catcher comes close to matching that. Melendez is extremely available. That needs to change and quickly.

If the catcher position is any kind of a concern at all, add Melendez and all of those issues will be solved. There are few players in MLB that could rate a stronger pickup recommendation than Melendez on this fantasy baseball waiver priorities edition.

Top Pitching Week Ten Waiver Pickups

Paul Sewald, RP, Seattle Mariners, 13% Owned

When it comes to outstanding pitching, few have been doing it better than Paul Sewald. True, as a relief pitcher up in the Pacific Northwest, Sewald has been largely invisible to the fantasy community. Undoubtedly, more of us need to wake up to his potential and add him to the roster if relief pitching is any kind of an issue. Over his last 12 trips to the mound entering the weekend, Sewald has allowed just a single earned run. For the season, he has a 3-2 record with a 3.09 ERA and a 0.81 WHIP. Those stats looked even better before Sewald was tagged with the loss Sunday against Boston.

However, the best part of Sewald’s game is that he has four saves and four holds. In leagues that have holds as a counting stat, his value only increases. His stats in BA, OBP, SLG, OPS and HR% are easily the best of his career. The Mariners have shown their faith in Sewald of late, as he has a win, two saves and a hold in four appearances before Sunday. Seattle likes to rotate their closers, which hurts Sewald to some degree. Even with that being the case, in leagues that value relievers, Sewald goes to the top of the list on this fantasy baseball waiver priorities week ten edition.

Spencer Strider, SP, Atlanta Braves, 21% Owned

Don’t look now, but here comes the defending champions. After Sunday’s games, the Braves have won 11 straight and are right back in the N.L. East race. Unbelievably enough, a rookie pitcher has played a central role in that resurgence. His name: Spencer Strider. Earlier in the season, Strider was used out of the bullpen. Over the past few games, however, Atlanta placed him in the starting rotation. The results have been positive, especially Strider’s last time out.

Pitching against Pittsburgh, Strider went 5.2 innings, allowing no runs on four hits. Best of all, Strider walked just one and struck out eight. The reward for the manager that started him was 25 fantasy points. That just reinforces how good Strider has been this season, as he has 124. For the year, Strider is 2-2 with a 2.35 ERA and a 1.12 WHIP. Even more impressive, Strider has been a strikeout machine for the Braves with 57 in 38.1 innings pitched. His K/9 of 13.4 would be tops in all of baseball if he had enough innings. Further, Strider’s ,176 BA and 5.6 H9 are nearly as impressive.

Without question, Atlanta will be keeping a close eye on him this season so as not to wear out his arm. Even so, Strider should pitch enough to get his manager quality fantasy points for the foreseeable future. Strider is an exciting pitcher on a ballclub that is the defending champion. Adding Strider now before he becomes a household name makes all the sense in the world.

Zach Eflin, SP, Philadelphia Phillies, 14.3% Owned

After relieving Joe Girardi of his duties, the Phillies have been on fire before Sunday. Despite this, Zach Eflin is a pitcher that is widely available and is set up to be a two-start pitcher next week. Going up against Milwaukee on Thursday, Eflin didn’t pitch nearly long enough to make anyone happy, lasting just four innings. The news wasn’t all bad, though, as he allowed just one run on four hits. Except for two disastrous outings against the Mets, Eflin has been an excellent pitcher since late April

His won-lost record is unimpressive at 2-4. Even so, his 3.76 ERA and 1.13 WHIP are both serviceable. Further, he has delivered 23 of more fantasy points in three of his last seven starts. Best of all, Thursday’s start was an outlier, as Eflin has pitched into the sixth inning in six of his last eight starts. So far in 2022, his BA against, HR% and HardH% are the lowest of his career. As the season goes along, it becomes harder and harder to find quality pitching on the wire. Yet, that is exactly where Eflin sits at the moment. If pitching is a need, picking up Eflin gets the highest of recommendations on this fantasy baseball waiver priorities week ten edition.

George Kirby, SP, Seattle Mariners, 25% Owned

The second Mariners’ player to receive a recommendation this week is George Kirby. Many in fantasy circles may not be aware of Kirby, but that needs to change. Especially this week, as Kirby’s next opponent is the Angels. We all know the free fall they have been on. If there is a prime time for a pitcher to go up against them, it is now. As for Kirby himself, his recent performances cast him in a very positive light as a solid fantasy starter.

Kirby got blitzed for nine runs in two starts against Boston and Oakland in May. Since then, he has allowed a grand total of five earned in his last three. In 17 innings in those games, Kirby struck out 15 with two walks. Unbelievably enough, in 37 innings this season, Kirby has a total of four walks for a nearly invisible 2.6 BB%. For the year, he is 1-1 with a 3.65 ERA and an excellent 1.14 WHIP. His BAbip of .290 indicate no regression should be coming. For anyone looking for a streaming pitcher, if nothing else, Kirby absolutely fills the bill. Adding him against the Angels this week is a very smart move.

The Last Word

Thank you for joining me for this fantasy baseball waiver priorities week ten edition! As always, I welcome any and all suggestions, comments and input from my readers. Have players to add to the list? Let’s discuss! Follow me on twitter @kevin62wilsea. Please feel free to share this article. Be sure to turn to Belly Up Sports and Belly Up Fantasy Sports & Picks for the MLB, NBA, NFL, NHL happenings and all the latest sports news! 

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